The present invention includes improvements on the safety device invention which is disclosed in patent application Ser. No. 11/290,727 “Safety Shut Off System for a Powered Vehicle”, filed Nov. 30, 2005 by A. Viggiano and M. LoSchiavo.
In a nutshell, a principal embodiment of an invention described in the aforesaid Ser. No. 11/290,727 application comprises an electromechanical actuator which removes a U-shape latch from a spring activated type ignition switch, to kill the engine. The preferred actuator is a linear actuator. It moves in response to a signal or cessation of a signal from an electromagnetic transmitter carried by a boat occupant. When the occupant falls off the boat, the signal received at the boat changes, and by means of the control system, the actuator is commanded to remove the latch key from the switch with some sort of linear motion. When the latch key is removed, the the kill switch plunger to move under force of an internal spring, and into its shut-off mode, thus stopping the boat. This compares with the prevalent older system, where a lanyard running to the operator or a boat or other vehicle pulls the latch from the key when the operator moves too far from the switch, e.g., when he falls overboard. The invention can be used on other vehicles.
Embodiments of the present invention have the same general objects and uses as the invention of the patent application Ser. No. 10/290,727 invention. It is intended for use on a craft or vehicle which has an ignition switch, also sometimes called a power switch, which may or may not be a kill type switch, and to turn the switch off by rotating the switch to a position where it stops the vehicle.